Is it just me, or did TFA not include a single example where the online community actually helped solve any actual crimes? Even the example of the woman who was 'eventually convicted' posting on webslueths just seems to have been identifying the anonymous account as coming from her computer... how did that help solve the case?

No more so than calling Crimeline with a tip or lead. They just try to develop those tips and leads from the ground up, based on available or deduced information.

That's the difference. "Calling in with a tip or lead" versus reddit's "do the entire thing ourselves, leading to massively incorrect speculation-based conclusions".

from TFA:

This is, at least in theory, already the case at Reddit. The site's rules note that "Witch-hunts and the posting of personal information are forbidden"-something Martin drew attention to in his written apology. But it wasn't followed after the Boston attacks.

Bad press notwithstanding, Redditors are unfazed by their handling of the Boston bombings.

The reddit staff regrets the mistake, but none of the users do. As long as they eventually get the correct target, reddit's okay with shotgun accusations that also hit innocent bystanders... and in the case of Boston, they didn't even get the correct target.

Leave the crime fighting to the professionals, jackasses. You are not, in fact, Scooby and Shaggy.

No more so than calling Crimeline with a tip or lead. They just try to develop those tips and leads from the ground up, based on available or deduced information.

If the "internet detectives" were merely emailing law enforcement with useful leads and tips, I would agree with you. Some of these people incite violence, libel, slander and encourage behavior only seen in less developed societies and times.

There is a reason the modern criminal justice system evolved into what it is today. Some of those reasons are to prevent misinformation, avoid lynching, and permanently stigmatizing innocent people. Let's move our justice system forward and not back into the middle ages when witch hunts were a way to mete out justice.

Could the internet be used to help police investigations in the future? Probably. Right now there is too much written and verbal diarrhea on the internet to make it effective.

No more so than calling Crimeline with a tip or lead. They just try to develop those tips and leads from the ground up, based on available or deduced information.

If the "internet detectives" were merely emailing law enforcement with useful leads and tips, I would agree with you. Some of these people incite violence, libel, slander and encourage behavior only seen in less developed societies and times.

There is a reason the modern criminal justice system evolved into what it is today. Some of those reasons are to prevent misinformation, avoid lynching, and permanently stigmatizing innocent people. Let's move our justice system forward and not back into the middle ages when witch hunts were a way to mete out justice.

Could the internet be used to help police investigations in the future? Probably. Right now there is too much written and verbal diarrhea on the internet to make it effective.

Exactly. Reddit lead to the missing Brown kid and one of his friend's real names trending world wide on Twitter. Imagine how his parents felt seeing their son being announced as the Boston Marathon Bomber, then having it retracted, then a few days later police find his body in a ditch. Congratulations Reddit! You are the best!!!!1!!!11!

Between that, the Saudi who was arrested for looking Muslim-at-the-Scene and now has to be deported, and CNN's fake arrest report, there is a lot of blame to go around. The time leading up to the real arrest was just a bunch of childish finger pointing everyone should be embarrassed by. The lesson to be learned is the exact opposite of TFA's point

Thank you. I'm tired of all of the negative publicity being thrown at a bunch of people who were trying to help. These people weren't evil; they were heartbroken Americans who were full of enthusiasm and patriotism. Reddit never once said "This for sure is the guy." All they did was piece together some images and forwarded the argument to the FBI with a suggestion that they might want to consider it.

By the way, the FBI cracked the case by doing the exact same thing the Reddit community did. They piecemealed a bunch of shots from cameras to recreate a series of events. They just had access to a few additional cameras on storefronts.

Tommy Moo:Thank you. I'm tired of all of the negative publicity being thrown at a bunch of people who were trying to help. These people weren't evil; they were heartbroken Americans who were full of enthusiasm and patriotism. Reddit never once said "This for sure is the guy." All they did was piece together some images and forwarded the argument to the FBI with a suggestion that they might want to consider it.

By the way, the FBI cracked the case by doing the exact same thing the Reddit community did. They piecemealed a bunch of shots from cameras to recreate a series of events. They just had access to a few additional cameras on storefronts.

And also not to publicaly label/finger the suspect until they were almost 100% certain.

And not to send death threats to the family of the potential perpetrator.